Programme

Workshop

CIVIL SOCIETIES OF THE EU AND JAPAN WORKING TOGETHER ON GLOBAL CHALLENGES

28 May 2010

European Economic and Social Committee

Rue Belliard 99

1040 Brussels

Room JDE 62

From 9:00 a.m. / REGISTRATION OF PARTICIPANTS

9:30 – 10:00OPENING REMARKS

MrSandy BOYLE,Vice-President of the External Relations Section of the EESC

H.E Nobutake ODANO, Ambassador of Japan to the EU

10:00-13:00SESSION 1: JOINT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE SUCCESSOR TO THE 2001-2011 OF EU-JAPAN ACTION PLAN: STRENGTHENING COOPERATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS OF THE EU AND JAPAN

Moderated by Mrs Shada ISLAM, Senior Programme Executive, European Policy Centre (EPC)

Topics:

-Best practices of civil society organisations´ involvement in coping with joint global and societal challenges

-Recommendations for the successor to the 2001-2011 EU-Japan Action Plan: strengthening of EU-Japan civil society dialogue

-Priorities for EU-Japan civil society cooperation

SPEAKERS:

10:00Ms Eve PÄÄRENDSON, President of the contact group on Japan of the EESC: “Introduction to the Workshop”

  • Ms Kaori KURODA, CSO Network Japan: “Recent discussions and initiatives of multi-stakeholder processes in Japan” (DVD presentation, 10 min)
  • Prof Masahiko YOSHII, Vice-President, EUIJ-Kansai, KobeUniversity, and
  • Prof Toshiro TANAKA, Director of the EUSI, Tokyo, KeioUniversity:“European Institutes in Japan: valuable meeting points for the academia, authorities and civil societies, their role in EU-Japan relations in future”(10 min each)
  • Comments from Mr Dobromir HRISTOV, Ex-exchange student in Japan, Centre for the Study of Democracy, Bulgaria (5 min)
  • Prof Masanobu ISHIKAWA, NPO “Gomi-Japan”: “Civil Society Organisations´ Contribution in Addressing Climate Change and Environmental Challenges (best practices and perspectives for closer cooperation): Introduction of Japanese environmental NPO “Gomi-Japan”(10 min)
  • Comments from Mr Krzysztof KAMIENIECKI, Various Interests´ Group of the EESC(10 min)
  • Mr Dick WESTENDORP, Various Interests Groupof the EESC: “EU-Japan Consumer Cooperation”(10 min)

11:05 – 11.15Coffee break

11.15 – 12:00AUDIENCE DISCUSSION: recommendations for the successor to the 2001-2011 of EU-Japan Action Plan: strengthening EU-Japan civil society’s cooperation

Themes:

-How to strengthen civil society links between the EU and Japan?

-Priorities in EU-Japan civil society dialogue: common global and societal challenges, topics for further discussion and joint seminars in short-and long-term perspectives

12: 00RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE SUCCESSOR TO THE 2001-2011 OF EU-JAPAN ACTION PLAN:

  • Prof Masahiko YOSHII and
  • Ms EvePÄÄRENDSON, President of the Contact Group on Japan of the EESC

12:30COMMENTS FROM THE AUTHORITIES

  • Mr Jonathan HATWELL, Head of Unit, European Commission, DG RELEX
  • Minister NorioMARUYAMA, Head of Political Section at the Mission of Japan to the EU: “The important results of the 19th Japan-EU Summit in Tokyo, 28 April 2010”

13:00-14:30LUNCH (in the Atrium of VI Floor)

14:30 – 16:50SESSION II: ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOBS IN A LOW CARBON ECONOMY

Moderated by Mr Jarosław PIETRAS, Director General in the Secretariat General of the EU Council, Directorate General I – Protection of Environment and Consumers, Health, Foodstuffs, Education, Youth, Culture, Audiovisual Affairs

Topics:

-Economic and employment situation in the EU and Japan: what is needed for economic growth and creation of jobs?

  • Employment of vulnerable groups (young people, women, older workers, migrants)

-Tackling demographic ageing

-Promotion of job creation in low-carbon economy,

-SMEs and innovative, environmentally friendly technologies, international public-private cooperation on research and development,

-Promotion of exchange programs of Japanese and European students particularly in technical and research areas (including internships in European, and Japanese companies)

-Updating skills and training for jobs in transferring to a low-carbon economy

SPEAKERS:

  • Prof. Masahiko YOSHII, KobeUniversity: "Overview of European and Japanese economies": (15 min)
  • Prof.Hisakazu MATSUSHIGE, OsakaUniversity: "Japanese labour marketand employment problems": (15 min)
  • MrXavier VERBOVEN, President of the Labour Market Observatory, Employees' Group of the EESC,: “Main challenges in employment in the EU”(10 min)
  • Prof. Noriyuki INOUE: “Role of Government in Economic Recovery under the Japanese Constitution”, (10 min)
  • Mrs Akiko SUZUKI, Associate Director for Research, the Institute for Human Diversity Japan (DECO): “The current state of diversity in Japan from the viewpoints of CSR and demographic change”, (DVD intervention - 15 min)
  • AUDIENCE DISCUSSION(20 min: 3 minutes interventions)

SPEECHES TO BE CONTINUED:

  • Mr KrzysztofKAMIENIECKI, Various Interests Group of the EESC:“Green Growth and Green Jobs”, (10 min)
  • Mrs Vladimira DRBALOVÁ,Employers' Group of the EESC, “Skills Needed for a Jobs in a Low Carbon Economy, (10 min)
  • Comments from Prof.Masanobu ISHIKAWA, NPO “Gomi-Japan”, KobeUniversity (5min): “Green Growth and Green Jobs”
  • Mr YuichiNAKAYAMA, ex-Intern of the EESC “Exchange Programs of Students in Research areas” (5 min)
  • Comments from Mrs Madi SHARMA, Employers´ Groupof the EESCon “Main challenges for businesses in post-crisis era”,(5 min)

16:25AUDIENCE DISCUSSION: (3 min interventions)

16:40CLOSING REMARKS

  • Minister NorioMARUYAMA, Head of Political Section at the Mission of Japan to the EU
  • Mr Jonathan HATWELL, European Commission, DG RELEX
  • Ms Eve PÄÄRENDSON, President of the Contact Group on Japan of the EESC
  • Prof Masahiko YOSHII, Vice-President of the EUIJ, Kansai
  • Prof ToshiroTANAKA, Director of the EUSI, Tokyo, KeioUniversity

Interpreting: / EN/FR/Japanese
Into / EN/FR/Japanese

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